Virtual kidnapping scam calls
Scammers text or call families claiming a loved one has been kidnapped and send altered photos taken from social media as fake proof, but no one has been taken and the only goal is a quick ransom payment.
Should I worry?
The FBI has warned that criminals are taking photos from public social media pages, altering them, and sending them as fake proof of life. Your teen's public photos could be used this way. The message usually arrives by text, claims someone has been taken, threatens violence, and demands payment right away. Some senders use disappearing messages so you can't study the images. Nobody has actually been kidnapped, but the fear and the money lost are real. The best defence is to slow down: contact the person directly, call someone who is with them, and don't pay or share personal information under pressure. Consider tightening privacy settings on your family's accounts, and agree on a family code word that only you and your kids know.
How to join in
This isn't a trend kids take part in; it's a scam aimed at parents that happens to use kids' online photos. Teens may have seen news stories or videos about it, and they often understand better than we do how easily images can be edited. That makes it a good, low-pressure way to talk about what they post publicly and how photos can be copied, changed and reused. Ask what they've heard, and let them show you their privacy settings.
Try saying
“I read about a scam where strangers text parents saying their kid has been taken, using fake photos from social media. If that ever happened, I'd call you first before doing anything else, and I'd like you to answer or call me back quickly. Can we pick a family code word, just in case?”
If you’re worried
If you think someone is in real danger, call 911. If you get a message like this, contact the person directly or someone near them before anything else, don't pay, and keep the texts, numbers and images. Report it to your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If you already sent money or information, tell your bank right away. If your child is shaken by this, Kids Help Phone is there at 1-800-668-6868, or by text at 686868.
Sources
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Criminals Using Altered Proof-of-Life Media to Extort Victims in Virtual Kidnapping for Ransom Scams
- FBI Scam Warning: Virtual Kidnapping & Altered “Proof of Life” Images | Greenwich Free Press
- FBI Alert: Beware of high-tech 'virtual kidnapping' scams | FOX 11 Los Angeles
From Mistlift, mistlift.app. Plain talk about what kids are into online.